


Under the Mistletoe

by cajynn



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mistletoe, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 10:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17160401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajynn/pseuds/cajynn
Summary: In Newt's preparations for Christmas, he hangs up some mistletoe in the lab doorway. Hermann secretly hopes he'll be getting a kiss this year.





	Under the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my secret santa fic for Kay. I hope you enjoy! <3

Christmas at the Shatterdome is always an ordeal. No one forgets the tragedies of the year, nor do they slack off. The work doesn’t stop, everyone always prepared for the worst. But they decorate and play Christmas music. They exchange gifts, usually handmade and small trinkets. With the end of the world looming over their shoulders, they need a break from reality. They need to come together as one big family, to celebrate their victories and mourn the ones who couldn’t be there.

Despite never having celebrated growing up, Hermann finds he’s quite fond of the holidays. He and Newt will celebrate Hanukkah privately, a much more intimate affair. But Christmas is for everyone, and it’s the one time of year things feel a little less bleak. However, he would never admit any of this to Newt out loud.

Newt loves the holidays, celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas throughout his childhood. Every year, without fail, he breaks out boxes upon boxes of decorations. The collection grows each time, and Hermann is left wondering where Newt finds everything. A long piece of lit up garland gets strung along his chalkboard. 

“Newton, honestly. How am I supposed to get any work done with this in my way?”

“I made sure none of it got in the way this time! Don’t be such a Scrooge, Hermann,” Newt replies, fiddling with the last of the garland and plugging it in.

Hermann taps his cane indignantly. “I am not a Scrooge! I simply don’t want distractions while I work.”

Newt doesn’t respond, simply switching the lights to the flashing mode and smirks. Hermann rolls his eyes and represses his own smile, instead huffing and switching the lights to be stable once more before climbing his ladder. Below him, Newt continues to throw decorations up haphazardly and hum It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas under his breath. 

When Newt finally finishes at the end of the day, the lab is even more of a hazard than when he throws his samples around. Tinsel threatens to fall from the ceiling and Hermann is certain they’re going to blow a fuse with how many lights Newt has strung. As he takes it all in, his eyes land on the doorway. Hanging above it, amidst the thick garland, is mistletoe. He can’t stop the blush that spreads over his face. 

“Newton… why did you hang up mistletoe?” Hermann asks, voice strained.

Newt doesn’t seem to notice, however. “Usually people are too afraid to step too far into this place, so I wanna see if I can get anyone to actually kiss while they stand there,” he responds with a mischievous smile. “Maybe I can even get Stacker and Herc to finally reveal their intense and passionate romance,” he adds with an eyebrow waggle.

Hermann makes a mental note to not linger in the doorway. 

A few days pass and the mistletoe remains unnoticed by other members of the shatterdome. Hermann manages to put it out of his mind as well, until one day two jaeger techs drop by to speak to Hermann. The air is particularly foul as Newt slices into his latest specimen, so they don’t dare move past the door frame. Hermann hardly notices Newt step away from his work and walk over to them. Newt smiles wide and glances up without any subtlety. The two tech’s follow his gaze and notice the plant hanging above them.

They regard each other for a moment, then shrug and give each other a quick peck on the lips.

“Tis the season,” one says casually before walking away to carry on with their work.

Newt, satisfied that his plan worked, goes back to his specimen. Hermann, on the other hand, has trouble focusing the rest of the day. He finds his eyes wandering to the doorway, and his mind wandering to thoughts he’d kept locked away. He thinks about kissing Newt under the mistletoe, horribly cliched and romantic. He knows he’d be shy, not bothering to imagine himself any other way, even if it is just a fantasy. Newt, on the other hand, would be so confident and sure, not hesitating to grab Hermann by the waist and pull him in for a long and passionate kiss. 

Hermann doesn’t realize he’s spaced out until Newt waves a hand in front of his face.

“Yo. Earth to Hermann. You alright there buddy?”

Hermann blinks in surprise before responding with an embarrassed, “Of course I’m alright!”

“You sure? You’ve been staring at your board for like five minutes without writing anything. You haven’t even picked up your chalk.”

“Yes Newton I’m fine.”

Hermann huffs and waves Newt away, scribbling furiously on his chalkboard. 

As the days pass and the countdown to Christmas begins, the holiday spirit has infected Hermann. He actually looks forward to hearing Newt sing Christmas carols while they work, and every evening Newt makes them both a mug of hot chocolate, indulging him in his sweet tooth. It’s becoming harder for Hermann to ignore and repress his feelings like this. Instead, his mind continues to construct fantasies straight out of a Hallmark Christmas special. 

It doesn’t help that word has spread about the mitsloe, and more people are walking by simply to take advantage. Hermann and Newt are privy to many Christmas kisses that December. 

He chides himself for thinking so foolishly. He knows no good can come of it. When he returns to his quarters each night, the loneliness threatens to overwhelm him. While this time of year is enjoyable, Hermann is constantly reminded of how he has no romantic, or sexual, partner to share it with. Many of the other PPDC members use this time to become closer to one another. New romances blossom and old ones rekindle their spark. But the one person he wishes to be with most isn’t here. That night he dreams of soft kisses that taste like hot chocolate.

Christmas eve arrives the next morning, and Hermann and Newt run into each other in the mess hall. Breakfast starts out peacefully enough, but it doesn’t take long before Newt makes a comment about Hermann’s latest equations, and they bicker all the way to the lab. People steer clear as they walk through the halls, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. 

“All I’m saying is your predictions aren’t gonna do much good if we don’t figure out how these guys tick!”

Hermann stops and turns to Newt abruptly. 

“My predictions save lives! Meanwhile, you seem to have this ludicrous notion that they’re all clones, and i fail to see how that could be possible or help our current situation.”

“Ludicrous?!”

As they fight, a few people poke their heads around the corner, curious to see how it will all end. Hermann notices and and glares, hoping it will be enough to scare them off. But instead, he watches their eyes flick above his head, and when he follows their gaze, he sees that they’ve stopped in the doorway to the lab, right underneath the mistletoe. 

Every instinct in Hermann is saying to run, get out and get far away. But he’s frozen to the spot. He chances a glance at Newt, and sees that he’s also starring above them, eyes wide and mouth agape. 

“Uh… We should probably, go inside. I gotta slice up some stuff and you… you gotta write… some stuff…” Newt mumbles awkwardly, refusing to make eye contact but not moving from his spot. 

“Well,” Hermann starts, and, before he can stop himself or think about what he’s about to say, continues with, “it is Christmas eve. Maybe we would be remiss to not join in on the tradition. ‘Tis the season’ and all.”

Newt does look at Hermann then, surprise and something hopeful gleaming in his eyes. He looks like he’s about to say something, but stops himself. Instead he takes a step forward, their noses nearly touching. There’s a long pause, but before Hermann can start to doubt himself and regret opening his mouth, Newt closes the gap. 

It’s an awkward kiss. Newt grips Hermann’s arms too tightly, their noses smush together, and Newt nearly knocks off his glasses in his enthusiasm. But it’s perfect. 

Hermann hears one of the people watching whisper “finally” underneath their breath and he can’t help but giggle. The kiss breaks, which Newt is having none of. Hermann barely has time to catch his breath before being pulled into another one. This time Newt tilts his head just right, and Hermann cups the side of his face, rubbing his thumb gently along his cheek. 

When they break apart again, their noses are still touching, and Hermann doesn’t move his hand. Hermann knows he’s found his new favorite holiday tradition. 

“Merry Christmas, Herms.”

“Merry Christmas, Newton.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/cajynn/) and [tumblr](https://gambriz.tumblr.com)!
> 
> If you like my work, and are interested in having me write something for you, check out [this post](https://cajyn.tumblr.com/post/176171554241/are-you-in-rarepair-hell-is-there-a-kink-that-you) on my tumblr and give it a share!


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